Letter of Support

Letter of Support To whom it may concern

The State Forest Management Centre (RMK) expresses support for the team grant project led by Professor Kuno Kasak, “Biogeochemical Assessment and Targeted Management of Forested and Restored Peatlands for Methane Mitigation and Carbon Sequestration”, to be submitted to the Estonian Research Council’s call for grant applications. The proposed project will provide important new knowledge on the carbon dynamics of drained peatland forests and restored peatlands, with a particular focus on the factors affecting methane fluxes and carbon dioxide sequestration under different management approaches. The project addresses a highly relevant challenge, as restored peatlands may sequester carbon efficiently, while increased methane emissions can delay their transition into net greenhouse gas sinks. The project will also improve understanding of carbon losses in drained and managed peatland forests, including the role of organic soil mineralisation, methane emissions from drainage ditches and tree stems, and lateral carbon export. The planned use of eddy covariance and chamber-based measurements will provide a strong scientific basis for developing practical recommendations for peatland restoration and peatland forest management in the context of climate change. RMK considers the project highly relevant for advancing science-based and climate-smart land use in Estonia. The expected results will support better informed decision-making on peatland restoration, peatland forest management and greenhouse gas mitigation in Estonia. RMK advises the Estonian Research Council to approve the team grant application led by Professor Kuno Kasak, as the project would generate important new knowledge on the biogeochemical processes and climate impacts of afforested and restored peatlands. Yours sincerely (Signed digitally)

Kristjan Tõnisson Member of the Board

18.03.2026 No 1-7/2026/1710